For Martinez, the negotiations came after spending 1 ½ seasons with the Red Sox, during which time he established himself as a team leader while hitting .313 with an .866 OPS.

But the Red Sox weren’t willing to offer the fourth year commitment the Tigers ended up giving Martinez courtesy a four-year, $50 million deal. The Sox envisioned Martinez as a catcher for a maximum of two more years, before sliding him into either first base or designated hitter.

‘They did, but like I say, you have to look out for your family,’ said Martinez when asked if the Red Sox made an offer. ‘That’s a time in your career you might get that chance once. It didn’t work out and things happen for a reason.’

So (even before the Red Sox dealt for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez) Martinez inked his deal with the Tigers, finding himself as their hottest hitter heading into the ALCS.

‘Yes, I thought I had a lot of chances to come back,’ Martinez said. ‘But at the end it’s a business. I always say that I think that’s the sad part of the game. This game is so beautiful, but at the end it’s a business. Sometimes they want to do something and you have to take care of your family at the same time. That is what happened.

‘At the same time I was really happy the way this organization treated me and my family. I always say this is a first-class organization, and I can’t say enough about the fans. They are one of the best fans in baseball. It was an honor for me to put on the Red Sox uniform. I never thought for me in my career I was going to be able to play for the Red Sox.’

After missing ‘12 due to a torn ACL, Martinez has bounced back to play 159 games this season, hitting .301 with 14 home runs and an .785 OPS. The final numbers come as a result of a red-hot second half, in which he hit .361 with a .913 OPS.

For the American League Division Series, Martinez managed to go 9-for-20 (.450) with a 1.150 OPS.

‘It’s tough losing the whole year,’ he said. ‘When I first got to spring training I was facing pitchers that were throwing 87-88 and I was watching those pitches go by me like they were 95-97 mph. I think as the season was going on I was getting more and more comfortable, and my legs were getting stronger and stronger. I was able to use my legs like I did before. I see videos of early in season and I see at-bats now and I’m like, ‘Wow! How many bats did I throw away?’ I never was easy. ‘¦ It was a long, long road back.’

As for Hunter, the outfielder had talks with the Red Sox (and his best friend in the game, David Ortiz) this past offseason before signing a two-year, $26 million deal with the Tigers.

‘There was talk with Boston. There were other teams,’ he explained. ‘There isn’t any use talking about that, it’s over with.’

Hunter finished ‘13 hitting .304 with 17 home runs and an .800 in 144 games.

There was some thought that Hunter viewed the Tigers simply as a better opportunity to win. But, as the 38-year-old explained, there were other factors, as well.

‘I was familiar with the Central. The travel was less. My son was 2 1/2 -3 hours away,’ said Hunter, referencing Torii Jr., who currently plays football at the University of Notre Dame. ‘Everything was a perfect fit for the Tigers. I’ve been in their division forever. I played 11 seasons in that division. So to come and play with the Tigers and play with those guys ‘¦ I was able to see my son a lot for the first time this year because I was close to him. That made a big difference. The pitching staff, of course, that doesn’t hurt ever. You’re talking about one of the best hitters on the planet in Miguel Cabrera. So, yeah, my homework was done.’